Geraldine (Boyd) Burch

Funeral services for Geraldine Burch, 91, of Portales, will be held at 10:00 AM, Wed., May 24, 2023 at the University Baptist Church in Portales with Rev. Steve Smith officiating, assisted by her daughter, Brenda Howard and a granddaughter, Brettenie Arzate.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Robert Encinias, John King, Denny Burch, Troy Phillips, Danny Justus and Billy Howard serving as pallbearers.  Honorary pallbearers will be Tommy Kent, Wesley McAfee, Bill Parson, Gary Grider, J.J. Madrid and Rick Russell.

Geraldine Burch was born June 15, 1931, near Reed, OK to the home of Harvie Lee (Downs) and Eldon Boyd, and passed from this life on the afternoon of Sat., May 20, 2023 in Clovis, NM.  When Geraldine was a girl, her family moved several times in West Texas before moving to Monument, NM where they actually lived in a tent for a time.  By the time she was old enough to start school, they were living in Floydada, TX.  In 1938, they settled on a farm in Petersburg, TX where they endured “black dirt storms” and locust invasions.  Geraldine loved the farm life and all the animals, and really enjoyed getting to drive the tractor as a little girl.  The family moved from Petersburg, to Happy, TX where she and her sisters would ride to school with a neighbor, but would often walk home after school.  On those walks, they collected arrowheads that were in abundance.

On Dec. 7, 1941, at the very beginning of WWII, they moved to the Upton community in Roosevelt County, NM.  On that farm they raised broom corn, and supplemented by picking cotton.  Geraldine attended school in Melrose, where she graduated in 1949.  In her senior year she was chosen as the Homecoming Queen.

Her family were members of the First Baptist Church in Melrose.  Geraldine was saved during a two-week revival at the church when she was 16.  It was at church on Dec. 22, 1948 that she met Leroy Burch.  He asked her to go Christmas caroling with him, and their romance grew from there.  They were married on Dec. 22, 1949 at the First Baptist Church in Clovis.  They made their first home on a farm in Fields where they had a small dairy in addition to their farming.  In 1956, they came to Portales to make their home on another farm and dairy.  To supplement their income, they worked wheat harvest in central Texas.  Her job was to drive the truck and act as the camp cook.

She was a devoted wife and mother, and loved taking care of her grandchildren.  Geraldine was an avid photographer and acted as the family historian.  In addition to her family, Geraldine was always very active in her church life, being involved in various programs, Bible studies, and especially visiting the home bound members.  She was a great encourager of her fellow Christians.  Geraldine was known for her delicious chocolate pies that were a regular feature of church dinners and funeral meals.

She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Denny and Kenya Burch of Stephenville, TX; a daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Billy Howard of Talihina, OK; three grandchildren, Lydia and Bryan Dobbins, Stephanie Madrid and Rachael and B. J. Barron; eleven great-grandchildren, Ashley Hout, Aaron Dobbins, Austin Dobbins, Brettenie Arzate, J. J. Madrid, Courtenie Madrid, Troy Phillips and Tory Phillips; and two great-great-grandchildren, Liam Arzate and Theodore Hout; a sister and brother-in-law, Lavern and Jim Russell of Portales; two nephews, Gary Grider and Rick Russell and two nieces, Donna Sue Zortman and Ronda Pool.  She was preceded in death by both of her parents, a sister, Imogene Grider, a nephew, David Russell, and by her beloved husband, Leroy, who passed away just a few days before their 63rd anniversary.

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